Solution Selling Methodology - How I Write My Posts

byPaulWatson

3.8K followers

5 years ago

Hey guys - how are you all?

Today I wanted to just have a quick chat (and maybe some feedback) about something that I have found myself saying over and over again in my videos I am shooting for my website as part of the Super Affiliate Challenge.

What have I been saying?

"You should be writing your posts so that readers can get a solution to their problem WITHOUT having to purchase anything from you".

That's right - you need to be writing to solve problems on their own - sure your affiliate products might be able to assist with that - and if you write it cleverly enough you can lead them there. However, they should be able to get the information from you and head down to their local store and purchase there if they want to.

"But we are losing the sale then" I hear you say...

"Yes, yes you are - maybe" I will say back...

Let's explore solution based selling and you can let me know your thoughts at the bottom...

People have problems

Have a think about your own behaviours when you are entering your commands into your favourite search engine. Are you looking to solve a problem? The chances are high that you are.

Take this further to your own niche and the keywords that you use - or even the headings of your posts such as:

• Samsung 55" 4K Smart Television review.
• How to write an effective blog post.
• Is Keto the best way to lose weight?
• 10 ways to use Essential Oils for headaches.

Now think about the problems that people have that have made them find these posts. My own research has led me to realise that people search for solutions to their problems in two ways:

1. The know what I want, but don't know which is best or how to do it - I know that I need a new TV but my problem is that I don't know which one to buy - I do a search online for smart televisions and BOOM - there is your post on the Samsung 55" 4K Smart Television review. Or I know that I want to write blog posts but really don't know where to start - I search how to write blog posts (where there will likely be a link to the Wealthy Affiliate site at the bottom)!
2. I have a problem but don't know what the solution is - If we look at the second two examples above - I know I need to lose weight but don't know how. I search the best way to lose weight and find your post on Keto or I get headaches but don't want to use chemicals - again, I know I get headaches but need to know a solution.

This is the first step in the process but it is the critical element that gets the reader to your online door. Now, in terms of affiliate marketing we are obviously trying to funnel them to our chosen vendors via some well place affiliate links. After all, that is how we make money and why we are all here.

However, what if we solved their problems without them having to purchase from us?

Solution based writing

Now, I understand that this may go a little against what it is that we are trying to achieve here, but hear me out. Let's use our 4K Samsung Smart TV example. My reader wants to buy a TV and has come to my site via a search that happens to have matched my keywords. From there they will read a beautifully and articulately written post (I can write them occasionally I promise) about the Samsung 55" 4K Smart TV. I will cover everything they could want to know such as:

• Specs
• Best Uses
• Compatability
• Functionality
• Pros
• Cons
• Price
• Warranty conditions etc.
• Testimonials
• And so on

By the time my visitor has finished reading my post, they have all the information to either:

1. Purchase from me via the affiliate links I have placed in the post.
2. Go down to their local HiFi shop and purchase from there - they may even use that information to compare to others available in store and purchase another brand altogether (new post idea anyone?).

Now, either of these is totally fine - obviously option one is better, but trust me, option 2 is almost as good. Why? Well it is all about trust - we are building a long term business here and I am sure I will get no arguments when I say that the building of trust is one of the major elements of success.

What the advantages of solution based selling?

By writing posts that people want to read, and feel that their problem has been solved can provide you with so much more benefit in the long run. These benefits include:

• Even though we know it is happening, many of us don't like to just be sold to - writing without solving problems will drop people from your site meaning yo will lose the sale anyway.
• Time on site is one of the criteria that search engines use for rankings, so the longer people read your information for, the better you will rank and others will then find you.
• You have longer to build trust with them as they stay in the site and find solutions. This can lead to greater opportunities for them to click on internal links taking them to other informative pages or sales pages that they may purchase from.
• The more they get from your site, the more chance you have that they will opt in to email lists or social media and the like meaning you can direct market to them for other sales opportunities.

And finally - people will actually be more inclined to buy from you if you have solved their problem anyway - in fact, proponents of this methodology will often say that for in person sales they can actually push a little bit harder at the closing stage as the buyer has already admitted that this solution is what they need. It is all about building that trust to start with.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Write for the reader and solve their problems, if they buy, great! If not, there are so many other benefits that you will not get if you are writing posts purely for the sale and nothing else.

Agree? Disagree?

Would love to hear you opinions below.

Have fun

Paul